MWC 2019: All the new phones expected to be launched
What's the story
Mobile World Congress is surely the Mecca for smartphone aficionados and mobile technology enthusiasts. Although the event will kick off in Barcelona on February 25, major OEMs including OnePlus, Huawei, LG, Xiaomi, Nokia will host their events today, while Nubia, Sony, and ZTE will have their launch events on Monday. Here's a roundup of all the new phones expected to be launched this week.
Highlight #1
Huawei Mate X: The foldable phone
Huawei is gearing up to launch Mate X today. Touted as the world's first foldable 5G smartphone, the device was spotted on a billboard in Barcelona. Design-wise, it will have a single external display that folds in to change into a compact form factor. Further, the phone is expected to feature multiple cameras, Kirin 980 chipset, and Balong 5000 modem for 5G connectivity.
Highlight #2
OnePlus' 5G smartphone
OnePlus will showcase a prototype of its upcoming 5G phone today at Qualcomm's booth (Hall 3 Stand 3E10). The device will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset along with the Qualcomm X50 modem to enable 5G connectivity. The company will launch this 5G phone in the UK and Europe by May this year and it may cost $200-300 more than usual OnePlus flagships.
Highlight #3
Sony Xperia 1: The flagship phone
Sony is all set to launch its latest flagship, the Xperia 1 (aka Xperia XZ4), today in Barcelona. The phone is tipped to feature a 6.5-inch conventional display with slim top and bottom bezels, and a 21:9 aspect ratio. We also expect Xperia 1 to feature a triple rear camera setup and pack flagship internals.
Highlight #4
LG is likely to launch G8 and V50 ThinQ smartphones
LG is expected to launch a couple of premium smartphones including the G8 and V50 ThinQ. The latter is likely to be a 5G smartphone that will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, 4,000mAh battery, and a dedicated vapor cooling chamber. The LG G8 could feature a 4K LCD screen with "sound-emitting display" and dual front camera setup.
Highlight #5
Nokia 9 PureView: The penta-camera marvel
HMD Global is expected to launch a few Nokia-branded phones including the much awaited Nokia 9 PureView. The flagship phone is said to come with a 5.9-inch QHD+ notch-less display, in-screen fingerprint sensor, and a novel five camera array on the back. Leaks suggest the phone will be backed by Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB of storage, 4,150mAh battery, and Android Pie support.
Highlight #6
Xiaomi may launch the Mi Mix 3 5G variant
Xiaomi is expected to launch the 5G variant of its recently launched Mi Mix 3 flagship. The phone is likely to feature a 6.4-inch full-HD+ OLED display, 12MP+12MP rear camera setup, and a 24MP+2MP slider selfie camera. Moreover, it is said to come with a Snapdragon 855 chipset, X50 5G modem, 10GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, Android Pie and a 3,850mAh or bigger battery.
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Xiaomi could also showcase its dual folding phone
Xiaomi recently teased its dual folding smartphone and we expect more details about it at MWC. Unlike any device we have seen so far, Xiaomi's hybrid device can be folded from the sides to switch between the tablet and smartphone form factor.
Highlight #7
Moto RAZR V4: The re-imagined iconic phone
Thanks to several reports, we know Lenovo-owned Motorola is working on a foldable device to revive the iconic RAZR flip phone. Hence, at the MWC 2019, we can expect the company to share some details about the phone. So far, we have not heard anything official but leaks and renders suggest the phone will feature a flip-phone like design and cost around $1,500.
More highlights
We also expect several smartphones from other Chinese OEMs
While we all look forward to the aforementioned phones, several Chinese OEMs like ZTE, Nubia, and Vivo may also announce their handsets. OPPO recently showcased its prototype camera phone with 10X loseless zoom capabilities and announced its first 5G smartphone. Likewise, ZTE and Nubia are also expected to unveil their foldable phones during the MWC 2019 which concludes on February 28.